My name is Rod Stevens and I grew up on a small farm in central Iowa. We raised corn, soybeans, oats, hay, hogs, beef cattle, chickens, milk cows, and apple and cherry trees. We rotated our crops, shelled corn, baled hay, built fences, churned butter, and supplied our meat through the local meat locker. We had a garden, so my mother canned fruits and vegetables. While we weren’t completely self-sufficient, we were close. On weekends, we would pack a lunch and go to Beed’s Lake or Pine Lake to go swimming. Today, neither of those lakes are safe to swim in.
I am not telling you all of this out of a sense of nostalgia; I learned a lot of valuable lessons during those formative years. Undoubtedly, the most important lesson I learned was how we are all inextricably connected to Creation: the land, water, air, sunlight, and climate. No matter how much we try to ignore or deny it, that connection is there. We are all dependent upon Creation. That is why Iowa IPL and their work matters to me.
At Iowa IPL, we listen to Iowans across our state who care for the future of our planet and create ways to take faithful action together. You help make this possible through your support. Join me in giving the gift of climate action by making a gift today. Your financial support empowers Iowans of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on the climate crisis. Our work is made possible because of the generosity of supporters like you. Together we are changing the world for future generations.
The climate is changing at an unprecedented rate: Wildfires, massive flooding, long term droughts, and derechos are all a result of, or magnified by, the shifting climate. Yet, I remain hopeful as a person of faith and conscience because of people like you who know that the time for action is now.
For me, that’s where Iowa Interfaith Power & Light comes in and excels. Our mission is to empower Iowans of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on the climate crisis. We do this in four ways:
- Called to Climate Action: This is a summer leadership program designed to get Iowa college students involved in climate advocacy. Actions include collaboration with peers, writing editorials and blog posts, drafting a statement on climate action, public speaking, and learning about the intersection of their faith and climate justice.
- Faith Farms & Climate: Iowa IPL continues to bring farmers and rural clergy together to talk about how their faith calls them to climate action. I know from experience that farmers are fundamentally problem solvers who can use their skills to implement climate-smart agriculture on their farms.
- Faith-Rooted Advocacy: Iowa IPL issues action alerts that you can participate in, hosts a variety of events geared toward climate action, drafts an annual faith statement for signatures that is presented to state leaders, and invites Iowans of faith and conscience into the policy side of climate justice.
- Teaching & Preaching: Iowa IPL is eager to come speak to your house of worship, green team meeting, or faith-based small group. You can request a speaker at iowaipl.org.
However, we can’t continue to do any of this without your financial support. The need for faith-rooted climate action is great and only growing each day. With your gift, Iowa IPL is poised to keep making an impact. I’m deeply grateful for your support of our work and invite you to join me by making a tax-deductible contribution supporting our education and advocacy efforts in the coming year. There is much work to be done and your generous financial support makes that work possible. Together we can continue to make a difference.